Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 64 The front page headline of the Daily Prophet

Chapter 64 The front page headline of the Daily Prophet

The next morning, sunlight streamed obliquely into the auditorium through the high windows. The moment Karen stepped into the auditorium, the previously noisy space suddenly fell silent for a moment, followed by an even more enthusiastic burst of whispers. This scene seemed familiar; she had experienced it just two days ago.

"Karen! Over here!" Wesley's voice came from the Ravenclaw table, eight octaves higher than usual. His reddish-brown curly hair danced like a flame in the morning light, and he waved his arms exaggeratedly, drawing the attention of several Ravenclaw students around him.

Karen walked slowly, feeling countless gazes piercing his back. He subconsciously touched the wand in the inner pocket of his robe, the cold touch bringing a sense of security. As he approached, he found Fabian pushing a steaming glass of pumpkin juice towards him, his usually gentle eyes now gleaming with excitement.

"Did you see today's Daily Prophet?" Fabian asked in a low voice, his fingers tapping incessantly on the rim of his glass, making a soft "tap-tap" sound. "The whole of Hogwarts is talking about it!"

Karen took the cup, the warmth transferring to his fingertips. He noticed that Ernesto, though maintaining an elegant, aristocratic posture,

But the gray eyes were also fixed on him.

"Not yet." Karen took a sip of pumpkin juice, the sweet taste spreading on her tongue. "I stayed up very late at the library last night."

"Merlin's beard!" Wesley slammed his hand on the table dramatically, startling several first-year students. "You still don't know? The Selwyn family publicly apologized to you in the Daily Prophet! On the front page! A full half-page! Unfortunately, that newspaper was stolen and ended up with somewhere; everyone's waiting for a new one!"

Karen's fingers trembled slightly. Although Professor Castor had informed him of this outcome, he still felt a sense of unreality when it actually happened. A pure-blood family had bowed down just like that.

Just then, the Great Hall doors were flung open, and a Gryffindor fourth-year student rushed in, waving several newspapers: "Look! The Selwyn family's apology statement! I have five copies!"

The entire Great Hall erupted in chaos. Students sprang from their seats as if cast a collective levitation spell, scrambling for the newspapers. Cullen saw Cedric Diggory rise from the Hufflepuff table to maintain order; while on the Gryffindor side…

The Weasley twins had conjured up more than a dozen newspaper replicas and were scattering them through the air, their red hair standing out conspicuously in the crowd.

"Quiet! Maintain order!" Professor McGonagall's stern voice came from the faculty seat, but even she couldn't help but glance at the newspaper, her stern lips twitching slightly.

Finally, a newspaper was passed to the Ravenclaw table. Wesley snatched it like a snatching of the Golden Snitch, and Fabian and Ernesto rushed over, their three heads nearly colliding. Cullen saw the front page printed in bold, gold lettering:

The Selwyn family issued a public apology regarding the Hogwarts incident.

Below is a carefully worded but humiliating statement, each letter seemingly burning on the paper:

"Dear fellow members of the magical world:"

On behalf of the entire family, Edmund Selwyn, Head of House Selwyn, extends his sincerest apologies to Mr. Karen Hawthorne and all the students and staff for the unpleasant incident that occurred at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry recently.

Following a thorough investigation, it has been determined that the actions of my family member, Darendall Selwyn, have seriously violated the Selwyn family's long-standing code of honor.

Karen read the statement word for word. It not only detailed the compensation—a German alchemy workshop, two thousand Galleons, and the precious Ancient Runic Codex—but also emphasized that it was a "voluntary" settlement. Most shockingly, the statement included a photograph of Edmund Selwyn, the usually arrogant pure-blood patriarch, standing grimly before the gates of Selwyn Manor, forced to bow in apology to the camera.

"This is simply unbelievable," Fabian's voice trembled, his glasses slipping down to the tip of his nose and he forgot to push them back up. "Is this the first time in magical history that a member of the Holy Twenty-Eight Races has apologized to first-year students on the front page of the Daily Prophet?"

Ernesto whistled softly, a complex light flickering in his grey eyes: "As far as I know, this should be the first time!"

As Cullen joined his friends' discussion, his gaze swept over the faculty section. Professor Flitwick was winking at him, his small body swaying excitedly in his chair; Professor Sprout smiled kindly, a newspaper still in his hand; and Snape seemed still lost in the shocking announcement.

Professor McGonagall's expression was also somewhat shocked, clearly not expecting things to have come to this. As for Dumbledore, the old headmaster was leisurely savoring a Bean of Oddity Flavor, his eyes behind his half-moon spectacles calm as still water. This shocking announcement to the British magical world seemed to interest him less than a Bean of Oddity Flavor.

"Look over at Slytherin!" Wesley suddenly lowered his voice and quietly pointed with his fork.

Karen turned her head and saw Darrendel Selwyn standing at the end of the Slytherin table, his face pale, the silver fork in his hand clattering to the ground. The Slytherin students around him instinctively kept their distance from him, even his closest followers lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Your reputation among Slytherin is quite something now," Ernesto said softly, a noble smile playing on his lips. "They look at you like you're a Norwegian dinosaur that has suddenly grown up, wary and afraid to approach."

Karen lowered his head and continued eating his breakfast, but it tasted like cardboard. His mind was completely elsewhere; it all felt so unreal. Just a week ago, he was an ordinary first-year student with some talent, but now he had become the focus of attention at Hogwarts and even the entire British wizarding world.

This sudden "prestige" made him feel both unfamiliar and somewhat uneasy, like wearing an ill-fitting formal robe.

It is both restrictive and conspicuous.

"Aren't you happy?" Fabian keenly sensed his emotions and asked softly. "This is a huge victory!"

"It's nothing, I just feel like this matter should be over." Karen shook her head, calming herself down.

Breakfast ended amidst a continuous murmur of conversation. As Karen rose to leave, the students in the hallway automatically made way for him, the younger ones even avoiding eye contact. A second-year Hufflepuff girl blushed, shoved a note into his hand, and hurried away; while several older Ravenclaw students looked at him with renewed respect.

This sudden change made Karen feel both unfamiliar and wary. He knew that beneath this outward show of respect, undercurrents were surging, especially among the Slytherin. Those pure-blood children would never easily accept such humiliation, but with the example of the Selwyn family, they dared not act rashly.